WEEKEND READING ♦ Women in Fiji by Nazhat Shameem ♦ Who's Who in Government (Still in draft. Hope to publish it this weekend.)
Allen Lockington is a self-employed customs agent and business consultant who has regular articles published in Fiji. I thank Allen for permission to reprint some of them in this political blog. They remind us that life goes on, whatever the political situation. And it's good to know that.
Double Feature. Lifeguards; the FRU Lottery
Lifeguards
Lifeguards
I refer to drownings, road accidents and human behaviour. Human beings have the highest intelligence in the animal kingdom. Have you ever seen a dog or cattle or horse or goat cross a flooded river? Have you ever seen one of these animals drinking something that will make them drunk and scream and yell at night? During the tsunami in Indonesia all the animals had long gone into the hills or up to safety well before the tsunami happened. The animals didn’t run to the shore to see the big wave come it. The human beings did. Next time you hear a judge tell a person on trial that he acted like an animal, tell the judge not to judge the animal, because they rarely act irrationally. Animals don’t know the meaning of irrational and thus they remain safe.
When the rainy season is about to happen you will see long lines of ants coming into your home, they don’t wait around to see how high the water will get then move. During the rainy season and when little drains overflow, do you see animals going for a swim and having fun? No. We of the higher intelligence will. So, we will never be able to stop drownings and road accidents; it is our destiny.
However, top marks to the police in their effort to provide lifeguards at beaches during holidays. But may I be permitted to ask why the life jackets? And looking at pictures. Why the long pants and cut off shorts? A drowning person can cause a lifeguard to drown. A fully clothed person going to the rescue and saving a drowning person only happens in movies. A lifeguard is someone who is a strong swimmer and is dressed only in swimming togs ready to dash out to a save someone and he will do it with speed. How fast can someone swim with a life jacket and long pants! We have the correct idea in providing lifeguards but I am wondering how they will perform with all the attire.
What we may need now is to get trained and be certificated as lifeguards with proper equipment like a lifeline that will be tied around the lifeguards waist when he or she swims out to a drowning person. And Speedos only.
By the way, life jackets are meant to be worn on boats, not on dry land. A story comes to mind of a friend who flew with me to Labasa a few years ago. During the flight I asked him what he would do if the plane was to catch fire, he shook his head in disbelief that I didn’t know what I was talking about and said, “Allen, Allen , Allen, Are you stupid or what! Just reach for your life jacket, put it on and jump from the plane. It will act like a parachute and it will keep you afloat when you hit the water. " Yeah right.!
So let's get the lifeguard details corrected, please. The concept is great but not the gear as shown in the photos.
FRU Lottery Solution
I have a solution for the FRU ticket saga. May I suggest that all $10 tickets are refunded including all those whose tickets were not included in the draw.
Many winners are saddened by the thought that there will be a redraw and see their prize that was almost within grasping distance float away into the distance. They may have planned in buying a home, car, education for the kids, paying of debts, trip overseas, a new life overseas and many more things. At the moment it all seems like very grim fairy tale that almost came true only for the princess to die even after the prince kisses her a few hundred times, and in the process gives her CPR.
Some people loyal to rugby may offer to give the money as donation, we will thank them from the bottom of our hearts. To those who will want a refund, they deserve it. I say this so we are fair to the winners. To those who didn’t win, we ask them to try again next time.
To sum up, refund all the $10s and the tickets that were not in the draw and let the initial winners take their prize, if there is anything left.
And in the meantime carry on with investigations.
4 comments:
@ FijiSUN and the Journalism of Hope :
There is no excuse for this shallow almost laughable apology for what really needs to be applied: daily investigative reporting of a high and unrelenting standard. Led by the nose to the facts, the Fiji SUN is still failing us. Did 7 pharmacies fail in Fiji last year? Well, it would be no surprise. What we want to know of course is this: Were the ones overcharging us by 400% plus or those who failed to keep up with the corrupt profiteers? "Get on Yer bikes Fiji investigative reporters"! You are once again letting us all down and we are not so stupid this time around to NOT NOTICE.
@ Allen & "Carry On with the investigations" ....
A Carry On film should be made about corruption in Fiji. It would be a sell out. It should aim to show how over twenty years this country slid into the mire of moral turpitude and corruption while everyone looked on believing all to be a game: a Great Game of Carry-On! Whom shall we target next? THe Insurance Brokers and the Insurance Companies owned by locals who have had the audacity to include "Spurious parts may be fitted...." in clauses of their insurance policies referring to automotive parts, thinking we are all too lazy and too stupid to read the small print. Well, they are mistaken and fitting 'spurious parts to replace GENUINE automotive parts is now a criminal offence. The "Carry On" Movie shot in Fiji would feature these grasping and conniving insurance companies, their agents and their colluders (assessors and others) and stick them in the stocks for a public pelting. Bring on Inspector Columbo!
@ The Struggle against corruption...Kim Bowden of Pacific Media Centre (Sunday SUN 16 January 2011)..
This report is very revealing because it appears to show a conflicting view of what is "in the Public Interest". Rest assured that revealing gross ocrruption is in the public interest no matter where or at what level it may be found. Look at Tunisia and the events of the past few days. A President has been removed from recourse to the streets by out-of-work middle class graduates. The first such removal of an Arab Head of State anywhere in the Arab World. Now the entire region is on alert. Yes, that is what corruption over many years may bring about. No need to prevaricate or to hesitate. Public money will not be squandered or misused without dire consequences. It is just a matter of time. So why would any intelligent young journalist refrain from doing their duty? Their very future depends upon it!
The events in Tunisia can teach us a valuable lesson indeed. For many who knew the county, the scenario that Ben Ali could ever be ousted was very unlikely indeed. And yet, a country broken by official corruption of an extremely oppressive regime that would not allow free expression explodes into violence within a few days. The sentiment on the streets is "enough is enough'. The dictator had to get out before the masses could execute him. Perhaps the regime in Fiji should look a bit closer: The combination of draconian media muzzling and denial of free expression with poor economic performance will eventually bring the scenes we watch in Tunis to the streets of Suva. No journalism of hope and no press release by the MoI will be able to act as the safety valve every healthy society needs.
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